1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hand held shuttle wheel toy on which a spinning wheel is moved along a pair of rails. In particular the present invention provides a toy which by flicking the wrist or finger tapping the rails the wheel can be caused to perform a multitude of tricks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hand held shuttle wheel toys having a pair of parallel U-shaped rails on which a shuttle wheel equipped with a magnetic shaft and which can be rolled back and forth on the rails are known. One end of the rails are typically embedded in a handle and the free end of each rail bent to extend outwardly. A portion of each rail adjacent the handle is also bent outwardly to form a V-shape curve. The outwardly bent free end and V-shape curve permit the wheel to roll continuously along the top of each rail and then reverse direction on the bottom of each rail.
A variety of improvements have been proposed to the basic toy to improve its playability. U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,660 is directed to a method of illuminating the wheel to provide greater enjoyment. Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,568 is directed to illuminating the wheel to provide visual variations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,923 provides a spinning element having two wheels joined by a magnetized axle which rotates along a single flat elongated wand. Canadian Patent No. 2,169, 154 is directed to an improved design for the shuttle wheel.
All of the prior art toys are directed to the simple movement of the wheel back and forth along the rails and provide limited play value.
The present inventors have adapted the basic structure of the prior art toys to enable the performance of a multitude of tricks by flicking the wrist or finger tapping the rails where the wheel is either launched into the air, roll on one of the upper and one of the lower rails at the same time, spin on table tops or remain on the rails while the toy is flipped in the air. Once the simple motion is mastered by the user it becomes a starting point to execute the countless tricks and maneuvers. These tricks will, in conjunction with, increased durability, and visual attractiveness, ensure that a child does not soon become bored.
It is an object of the invention to provide a design so that once the simple motion is mastered by the user it becomes a starting point to execute countless tricks and maneuvers. These tricks will, in conjunction with, increased durability, and visual attractiveness, ensure that a child does not soon become bored.
Thus in accordance with the present invention there is provided a hand held shuttle wheel toy having parallel metal rails on which a shuttle wheel can be rolled back and forth, said toy comprising:
(a) a pair of parallel generally U-shaped metal rails, each of said rails having a top and bottom side, a fixed end and at least one free end;
(b) a handle into which the fixed end of said rails in inserted;
(c) a shuttle wheel having a magnetic core, a conical projection at each end of the magnetic core, a central hub wherein said core is inserted into said hub with the conical projections extending co-axially out from said central hub and a circular rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;
(d) opposite outward V-shaped curves in each of said rails adjacent said handle and wherein the free end of said rails is bent outwardly to permit said shuttle wheel to roll along the top side of each rail and then reverse direction on the bottom side of each rail.
(e) a second pair of parallel metal rails, each of said rails having a top and bottom side, a first end fixed within said handle and a second end remote from said handle, wherein the second pair of rails are bent upwards adjacent the handle so as to run back at an incline above the handle; and
(f) opposite outward V-shaped curves in each of said second pair of rails adjacent said handle and wherein the second end of said rails is bent outwardly to permit said shuttle wheel to roll along the top side of each of said second pair of rails and then reverse direction on the bottom side of each of said second pair of rails.
The shuttle wheel for use with the hand held shuttle wheel toy of the present invention preferably comprises: (1) a magnetic core (2) a conical projection at each end of the magnetic core (2) a central hub wherein said core is inserted into said hub with the conical projections extending co-axially out from said central hub and (3) a circular rim having an inner surface and an outer surface
The present invention can be used to perform tricks by tilting the shuttle wheel toy forwards and backwards to cause said shuttle wheel to roll back and forth along said rails, then performing an action selected from the group consisting of flicking the wrist, finger tapping the rails or wheel, depressing the free end of said rails or separating said rails thereby causing the shuttle wheel or shuttle toy to perform a trick selected from the group consisting of the shuttle wheel to be launched into the air, one end of the shuttle wheel to roll on the top section of one rail and the other end on the bottom section of the other rail, causing the wheel to spin on a hard surface or the toy to be flipped in the air with the shuttle wheel continuing to roll on the rails.
Further features of the invention will be described or will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description.